The field of this disclosure relates generally to networked sensor node, and more particularly, to systems and methods for self-powered networked sensor nodes.
Networked sensor nodes with chemical sensors can be deployed in a variety of environments for sensing contaminants and concentration of particles that need to be tracked in the environment. Some known systems use sensors that detect chemicals based on a change in impedance of the sensor. The impedance of such sensors varies as a function of the size and concentration of molecules adsorbed on the surface. To detect the presence and concentration of the target chemical(s), the sensor determines the impedance of the sensor using a known excitation signal. Generating the known excitation signal is often computationally intensive and requires significant processing and electrical power.
Some known networked sensor nodes would be useful for placement around gas well pads to detect gas leaks. The network of such sensors may be deployed to cover a wide area around a well, so that maps of the gas leaks over the entire site can be collected and location of thermogenic leaks may be triangulated. In such installations, providing utility grid connections for each sensor node may be impossible or impractical. Moreover, powering known sensors with a stored energy device, such as a battery, requires undesirable maintenance to periodically replace the batteries. Additionally, batteries and other localized power sources may not be able to provide sufficient power for some known sensors unless the power source is increased to an undesirably large size.